ORLANDO, FLORIDA -- My wife and I traveled 2 hours to visit your store in Orlando Florida yesterday dedicating an entire day with one purpose and goal, and that was to purchase an entire bedroom set for our house. We have always spoke highly about Ikea and recommended it to everyone we know. However after the lack of customer service at this location, the rudeness of your employees, and the failure to both listen and assist us in any way we will no longer be shopping with Ikea. The experience we had yesterday with your staff and BOTH managers was the worst experience we have had at ANY public place!

After spending over 3 hours walking the store, filling our cart and picking out the items we wanted we finally made it to the warehouse level where we were to pick out the pieces we needed for the bed and dresser. At this point we were planning on spending over $1000 in your store, but after it was all said and done we left spending $0. We had written down all of the numbers for all of the pieces and started filling the flat beds with our items needed. We only had one left when we realized that what we needed was just on the 3rd shelf.... just high enough that we couldn't pull it down. At this point I went to the desk to ask for assistance.

The employee there asked what I wanted (with the attitude that I was wasting his precious time). I told him that I needed help, he looked up the part, and then informed me that it was not available. I informed him that it was only on the 3rd shelf and I just needed a hand getting it down. His response was "I won't be able to help you, better luck next time, come back tomorrow and maybe it will be lower". I was completely shocked and offended by this response! A "Customer Service" person that didn't even want to help me or even attempt it! I walked away feeling like a worthless customer.... returned to my aisle to see if I could find it somewhere else... with no result.

So then I asked another employee for help hoping that I just got one bad employee the first time. I asked him for a manager. He radioed the manager and over his radio I hear the manager say "I just talked to "That Guy" and I won't help him... tell him to come back tomorrow" Really??? I am referred to as "That Guy", not a customer? At this point I am getting very upset. I just drove 2 hours, spent 3 shopping in your store and now nobody even cares to help me with 1 item!

So I asked for another manager, still with hope that someone in your company cares about a customer that is going to spend $1000 or more! This manager was even worse. She point blank told me "There is nothing I can do for you" while looking right at the product only an arm length away! We pleaded, asked, begged even and she kept on repeating the same single line.... "There is nothing I can do for you". So, because your staff, and your company would not take one item down from only 7 feet in the air, you have now lost over $1000 in sales..... like your company even cares I am sure.

After multiple attempts to find another solution your manager did inform us that It could be shipped..... for another $200! Let me ask you this, if you went to a store and saw the product you wanted, could even touch it let's say and this happened to you, would you accept a $200 shipping fee because they wouldn't help you take it off a shelf? NO..... but of course if you are an Ikea employee you would think that this was just all OK just like driving another 4 hours the next day is just all OK as well! To top it off, because I was so visible upset..... your manager called security to escort us out of the building. Great job Ikea..... Great job caring for your customer.

I don't expect a response to this email because apparently it is your "Company Policy" to not care about your customers that drive a long distance to shop at your store, or even plan on spending hard earned money with you. We went to Target and they were happy to help us get our product that was "Not where we could get it down" and even loaded it in our car for us. You will not see us again, and I will make sure to post this everywhere I can. I am also going to contact the BBB because this was by far the worst experience I could have ever imagined...... Period. You have lost a "Customer"..... like you even care.

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Trying to Get Replacement Parts for Kvartal 3 Track Curtain Rod Track

By Gary - 07/19/2014

Rating: 1/51

CANTON, MICHIGAN -- We have purchased and installed the Kvartal style 3 track hanging blind system in our kitchen. The plastic interlock tabs to move the 3 hanging panels keep breaking. There is one store in Burlington, Ontario 3-1/2 hours away and one in Canton, Michigan one hour away (closest stores). We have been to both twice with no success at obtaining these plastic clips which eventually break (in about a month or two if you get that far) such that you have to handle each panel individually by grabbing them which dirties and bends them - not a great practice.

The frustration is that Ikea does not have part numbers for these clips so instead you have to buy the entire track setup. If they have returns of these tracks or open boxes with missing parts they'll take all these parts and throw them in a bin which they will let you look through to find what you hope you will find - yeah, good luck! One time we were able to do this - miracle of all miracles! These clips again lasted about a month. I have tried to glue them but the type of plastic used does not lend itself to Super Glue or epoxy or any other glue I can find or think of. This is just a poor design or poor choice of polymers.

Phone calls and emails to Ikea Customer (NON) Service have been nothing short of dismal and frustrating. I would like to be able to get several parts and willing to pay for them. I would like to help Ikea make this otherwise good overall product better by letting them know they have a problem with these clips that they should redesign. They understand my problem and frustration but can do absolutely NOTHING nor will they try on either point.

I have never seen such stupidity, such poor product control (no part numbers - you have to copy the assembly instructions and circle the nameless part (not even a Swedish name for it) and show it to them so they will know what you are even looking for). Be careful what you buy at Ikea - it is seemingly cost efficient and reasonably good looking merchandise but if you have to return it or replace something, and if you expect it to last you are really out of your mind with those expectations. They rank among the worst customer service I have encountered and only rivaled by Samsung Customer Non Service - which is an whole other story or stories that you can internet search.

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Buyer Beware!!!

By M - 04/29/2012

Rating: 1/51

OTTAWA, NEW YORK -- In 2007 I purchased a complete bedroom set from Ikea, at the time the HOPEN series dressers, bed and night stands were among the most expensive Ikea had to offer. Shortly after, due to a series of life events my wife and I had to move, the move was only down the street but in the process we managed to break our HOPEN queen size bed frame and one of the smaller dressers. This all took place less than a year after I purchased the original set so I dutifully went back to Ikea to purchase replacement.

Once there I found that Ikea was no longer carrying the HOPEN series, I was told to check back in a couple of months. In the interim I purchased a MALM bed frame that somewhat matched the HOPEN series. Six months later IKEA has the HOPEN in stock again BUT IN A DIFFERENT COLOUR!!! It has been one year since I had spent close to $3000 dollars at Ikea and I could not purchase a replacement for the furniture that had broken. To top it all off the rest of the HOPEN series I had were all falling apart and one look at the new HOPEN material showed that the furniture I had purchased has of inferior quality.

Ikea even admitted to me that they had changed the material the furniture is made out of because they were having so many complaints. When I asked for some kind of return (with the original receipts) I was told it had been a year since I had bought the furniture and that some breakage should be expected. Breakage expected!!! In ONE YEAR!!! This was preposterous! Especially considering the amount I had paid and the fact that I could not replace the damaged units since they did not make them in the same colour.

I suggested a compromise where I bring in all the furniture of inferior quality that the company had admitted should be replaced and I buy a whole new bedroom set. I was told I was free to buy a new bedroom set but they would not offer any discount. Fast forward a few year and I decide to go back to Ikea for a media storage unit, the price was high but they seemed to be made of good quality material. I paid over $3000 dollars for a BESTA media storage unit with the most expensive doors possible, the high gloss brown doors. Once I assembled the units it became apparent just how cheaply made and frustrating the furniture was.

This was supposed to be a media storage system and there was not a single notch or hole or conduit to run cables. In the end I spent several hours with a drill and hack saw cutting up pieces of aluminum and wood to be able to connect all my equipment (which is not a big set up, a TV a DVD player and a computer, that's it). The BESTA BURS wall unit, which is designed to hold up a TV, does not have a single place to run cables out of the box. Additionally the high gloss brown door were constantly sold out.

Six months later there were still none in stock and I have been informed that the high gloss brown doors have been discontinued in favour of a new high gloss gray door, which does not match at all. In one year Ikea turned my over $3000 dollar investment into garbage! This is the last time I ever shop at Ikea! BUYER BEWARE!!!!

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IKEA Has the Worst & Most Deceptively Written Return Policy

By J - 01/20/2012

DENVER, COLORADO -- While browsing their store, you will notice an abundance of signs stating "It's OK to change your mind", and "If you are not entirely satisfied with your purchase, simply return the unused item in its original packaging within 90 days". Please know that if you remove any IKEA item from the original package what-so-ever, the item can be considered "used" & non-refundable.

Case in point: We attempted to return a brand new coffee table. There was nothing wrong with this table; we just simply decided it wasn't quite what we wanted. I called the store to inquire whether or not I needed to disassemble the table & repackage it before returning it. I was told, "We prefer you do not attempt to repackage the item to avoid damaging it, and we will need to inspect the item before refunding you". This seemed reasonable enough. After arriving at IKEA's returns/exchanges department, we were told "Because this item was initially removed from the packaging, this item is considered "used" & is non-refundable."

Please note that I had my original receipt, all original packaging, was well within the 90 day return policy limit, and yes, the table was returned in excellent condition. Further, we noticed a set of bath towels we purchased from IKEA became splotchy & quickly lost their color (bad dye perhaps?) immediately after their 1st use & subsequent air drying. We also attempted to return these (same trip as above to the Centennial location in Denver, CO) and we were told we could not return the items due to their condition. I reasserted that their condition was precisely why I was returning the item, and that I would also be content with an exchange.

Again, the IKEA associate insisted she couldn't exchange or refund the items due to their condition. She also made the most curious statement: "I've never seen anyone return towels for this issue." Followed by: "Some of the people who have tried to return discolored towels simply decided to give them away as gifts, and that perhaps you should consider doing the same."!? Moving up the ladder, we contacted the supervisor, and while initially polite he quickly became condescending & continued to apologize for my inability to understand their "simple" return policy.

Just know, once IKEA has your money, there's little chance of getting it back, period. You may get offered store credit if lucky, and that's assuming you'd be willing to return. IKEA's inability to resolve a relatively simple issue, simply left me leaving the store exceptionally irritated and with the conviction of never returning.

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To IKEA or NOT to IKEA

By Doesitreallymatter - 03/29/2009

UNITED STATES -- Have you noticed that there is no section or counter in any IKEA store that claims to be "guests' services" or the "courtesy counter" or "Customer Service"? There is not a single sign or direction anywhere in the store that directs anyone to such a location to have their questions answered, just small towers with an "i" icon at the top placed at various locations throughout the maze. You might be lucky to find a coworker within a few hundred feet of each of those "i" towers.

If you do find someone, hopefully you will get a well rehearsed quote from the Yellow Shirt People that customer service is throughout the store. They claim that all coworkers are trained to answer your questions (and solve your problems) at the point of contact. I find this difficult to digest but have been surprised with how much the coworkers know about their immediate areas. I found that any coworker was able to assist me and if there were honest issues that IKEA was at fault for, those issues were corrected. They have simple solutions for just about every situation.

However, the issues that I have learned from are "Contempt of concept". Some of us just don't fit into the IKEA customer profile and the rest of us just do not find the concept an easy way to shop. Maybe we're stubborn or spoiled. Maybe we think that because we are spending our money we should have service on a silver platter. Unfortunately, IKEA does not sell silver. That does not stop one from wanting to vent to the manager about something he has no control of or to threaten to call "Corporate" when we don't get what we want.

There is no real reason to ask for corporate or for the manager. Don't even bother. You can ask for a manager five times during one trip to the store and get five different managers with five different approaches to you as a customer. There is no one true manager that can be found. If there is a general manager, they must be traveling the world or be securely guarded inside their ivory tower somewhere. I know of no one who has heard from the offices in Sweden. I'd like to meet someone who actually has spoken to a "regional or district manager". Those don't exist. IKEA is not that type of retail.

It is not North American retail where anyone with a complaint used to be able to get in touch with the manager's manager, etc. Anyway, how would anyone get anything done if they have to sound complaints or comments every working hour? Your comment or concern is most likely nothing they never heard before. Of course, it feels good to get it off your chest. But understand that it is their concept. We choose to accept it when we enter their locations. Someone with a real problem or issue that needs to be solved needs to know were to go to get that issue solved.

At IKEA one just wonders around aimlessly looking for "Customer Service" or a coworker that looks like they can be interrupted. Some problems that need to be solved are found to be "User Error". You may have lost that screw. You should not have used a power driver to tighten that cam lock. You could have thrown the hardware away. You just might be an idiot for buying this stuff in the first place. You do get what you pay for and sometimes you deserve what you get. Not too many larger retail or big box stores are worried about you; there are plenty of other customers going through their check outs to make up for what you don't spend.

IKEA coworkers and managers are there to protect the company's policies which protect the profit, alienating a customer is not a loss to them. Their "Cult Like" following only replaces that lost customer two to one. If you ever get an audience with a supervisory figure, speak in a rational way. You might be surprised as to how far kind words go. Be careful, never pull the "I'm a good customer" or "I've spent $$$ here" because the only dollar that is important to them is the dollar that they are protecting at that moment. Playing the "I'm a Good Customer card" gets you a brick wall almost immediately, if not the brick upside your head.

Who cares how much money you spent? The issue is with this one item here and now. So what makes shopping at an IKEA successful? KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING! My first few trips to IKEA were so frustrating I am shocked that I continued to return. I could not figure out how to buy anything if I wanted too. You must do your homework before you go. Don't get half way through the store before you decide you have no clue how to shop there. Do NOT come into the "exit" if you have not been to the store before. You will only frustrate yourself and annoy every customer and coworker you interrupt trying to find your way upstream.

Do stop in the ENTRY lobby, study the shopping tools, and study the maps. Read the price tags. Walk the store the first time without picking up something. Get your bearings. Learn the shortcuts. Read the overhead directional signs and follow the arrows on the floor. Take a break and breathe. Sit on the furniture and get a visual of where you came from and where you want to go. You are inside of a walled in amusement park for shoppers and it is far too easy to get overwhelmed.

DON'T buy anything at all on your first visit! NEVER! Just get a catalog, pick up the little paper forms that describe the items in detail. Measure the displays, measure your boxes and by all means, MEASURE YOUR CAR, TRUNK or BACK SEAT if you are going to transport the items yourself. Do not expect any coworker anywhere in the store to know if a certain item will fit in your car. The store is IKEA not KIA, they don't know one type of car from another and are far too busy to worry about how you're going to get your crap home.

GO HOME, figure out where that new item is going to fit, measure your space and know that the item you are going to purchase will be what you want. Yeah, there is a "No Nonsense" return policy. But that is the store's description not the customers' translation. The return policy is straightforward. YOU MUST HAVE A VALID RECEIPT! Do not read between the lines or assume anything. Your merchandise can be returned if it is still in the original packaging as it was when purchased, not opened, never assembled, never built and then taken apart.

And what ever you do, never open bedding products for any reason if there is any doubt that you will be keeping it. DON'T even open bedding just to see if it will match your style. Oh, and there is no exchange vs. return. It is a return, period. You can not "exchange" your unwanted item unless it meets the actual return policy and you have your receipt. You must have a receipt for all transactions! There is no reason for IKEA to even have the word "Exchange" posted.

You are not allowed to go shop for the replacement item to bring it back to the return counter for exchange. Your return is done first and then you are sent off to go through the entire shopping process again, either with a refund or a new gift card. If you have "Fight Club" syndrome and you just can not live without shopping at IKEA; BRING HELP! Do NOT expect to enter the store, provide a list or point a finger to a yellow shirt and expect eager coworkers to gather your purchase up for you. Do not be the only adult in your group with a bunch of rowdy children.

Do NOT expect to push your baby stroller and your merchandise cart at the same time and do not expect someone else to push either one for you. Do NOT expect to have help loading the items in the self serve warehouse. Do NOT expect to get to the cash lanes and ask a cashier to go get an item for you or to have a sales person bring an item up to you. Do NOT expect to have help loading your vehicle. Now have fun. Drive to IKEA, park in a large parking lot, loose your car in that lot. Enter the store, get lost in that store, study your price tags, follow the map, and write down the name, price and location of your item.

Follow the direction tags on the bottom of your price tags. If it says to see a coworker, FIND A COWORKER. If says to continue to the warehouse then make your notes and move on. Locate the larger trolley carts in the warehouse, get your cart and head to your aisle. Load your item, check the number for the correct size and color then head to the cash counter. And heaven forbid the item be out of stock. You can not pre-pay, order or arrange to have the item held for you when it does come into stock. And when it does, you have to start your shopping trip all over again.

Now, have your entire product selection ready to check out and all of your questions answered by the time you get to the cash lanes. Once there, it's too late. The lines will be long and coworkers will be doing what they can to get everyone cashed out and on their way. Pay at self check out, and forget about bagging your merchandise. IKEA is "green" and will not provide disposable bags. You can buy reusable bags like at your grocery store. Truck your purchase out to the loading zone and load your car, drive home and build your new item. Be happy with the process. If you get home and find that you made a mistake, you have no one to blame.

Don't expect sympathy from the store because you picked up a red table but wanted a blue one. Don't even try to play the card "But that is what your coworker put on my cart". You're an adult, be responsible for your actions and cut your losses. You shopped from a SELF SERVE WAREHOUSE. Whatever help you got (if any) was just courtesy assistance. Don't expect the store to come to your home and exchange the items you don't want just because it is furniture. If you expect that service; buy your furniture from a high line, high quality, and high price service center... and pay for it.

No one made you make the choice you made. No one made you drive out of your way to get to the store. You made those choices so you have to live with them. No one made you promises. You can have fun at IKEA but you have to do your part. You're paying for soft pine, cardboard and plastic; expect to get what you pay for. But again, DOES IT REALLY MATTER?

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DIS-GRUNDTALED - Ikea's GRUNDTAL Lights Don't Work

By howardlevy22 - 10/04/2010

You need a suction cup to change a lightbulb? I purchased a set of 4 individual GRUNDTAL lights for over my wardrobe. When I got home, I found out that the lights required additional cords and device to connect them that was not indicated on the package. But the kicker is that because the bulb fits so snugly into the shield around it, it requires a little suction cup to change the lightbulb (which is supplied with the light). I tried and I tried, but I could not get the suction cup turn with the bulb. Despite being securely suctioned to the bulb, it came off every time. Thinking that perhaps just that bulb was stuck, I tried it with another GRUNDTAL light, but that did not work either.

This product, the GRUNDTAL light DOES NOT WORK. Save yourself the aggravation and DO NOT BUY IT. It is incredible how IKEA is able to get away with selling a light for which it is impossible to change the lightbulb.

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Ikea Promised to Deliver Between 11 and 3, Then 4 - 6 Then Said Nobody Was Home!

By Angela - 08/10/2013

Rating: 1/51

HICKESVILLE, NEW YORK -- The problem is with the delivery! I ordered some items from Ikea. Based on 2 emails and 2 voice mails, I was promised delivery between 11 and 3 on Saturday. I changed plans and stayed in my yard - all day. At 4 no show, we tracked down the number on the website - hard to find - and called. After being about half an hour on the phone we were told the delivery would be coming between 4 and 6 the truck was running late. We cancelled more plans. At 6:30.... you get the picture. We call again. What was horrible was the customer service experience.

At 6:30 when we called since nobody had showed up - we were told, after being on hold for close to 20 minutes, that it was too late to deliver the merchandise. The delivery company claimed a failed delivery, i.e. that they had come at 5 PM and nobody was home. But we were here all afternoon along with a friend sitting in our yard right next to the phone... nobody showed. I tried to explain this to the supervisor... silly me! That wasn't half the problem. The supervisor, "**", repeated the same thing no matter what I said. She clearly wasn't listening to a word I said and repeatedly berated me for not listening to her! (As a customer I had a strange notion she should be listening to me.)

After wasting my time - more than 71/2 hours did "**" apologize for the problems? No! Did she listen to me when I tried to complain about my time being wasted and false promises made? No. I cancelled the order rather than have anything to do with Ikea again. Sunk costs - I had no interest in gambling on Ikea's promises. I love my yard but one full day being trapped here was enough! What's it they say? Fool me once.... Bottom Line: Ikea, in other words, is "low end" in more ways than one!

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Flippant Customer Service

By Sally - 07/21/2013

Rating: 1/51

FRISCO, TEXAS -- My husband and I bought a Hemnes 3 drawer chest last weekend at the Frisco, TX IKEA. We had our 15 yr old grandson with us. We brought the chest home and when we opened it yesterday and laid all the parts out we discovered that the drawers were missing and there were no instructions. I called customer service IKEA and was transferred to a "After Sales" customer service line where no one was available and so I had to leave a message.

This morning we boxed up the chest and drove the 40 miles back to the store (closest one to us). When we got to the store we saw where NOW there are signs saying "Note this comes in 2 boxes". These signs were NOT there when we bought the chest. Between three of us we would have seen them and they were very noticeable today. While I was waiting my turn in the Customer service department I noticed a man who had brought the very same chest in and had to be given the second box which he apparently didn't get the first time either.

Since it took us 40 miles to get there, along with gas spent and a toll road I asked the man at customer service (who had explained all we needed was the second box) if we could exchange it for one of the 5 I saw in the store that were already assembled. There were 3 in the warehouse and 2 on the showroom floor. He said "no you can't do that." I explained we had gone to great trouble to bring the thing back and that she signs were not posted last week. He said "Well, there are signs in the store that said be sure and get your second box." I told him that when we purchased the chest that sign was not there. He said "Well, I don't know if it was there or not".

He said the only way we could purchased an assembled one was if it was in the "Returns and buy as is" section and he didn't think there was one back there but he would go check. He was gone for a few minutes and came back up with the second box with the drawers and said "Here you go all you need is this". I asked him if he didn't think that the cashiers should be aware or made aware when an item has a second box and should check before the customer leaves. He said "Well, most of the cashiers are brand new and don't know to do that".

I asked if he was aware of Ikea Frisco's customer service reviews. He said "Yes". I said "They aren't very good". He said "That's because the only people who say anything have something negative to say and that satisfied customers don't write a review." I told him that that I wrote positive reviews if I thought it was warranted. My point is not that we were not allowed to purchase an assembled one after the trouble, time and money it took us. It was the response we got from this young man. Not once did he say "I'm sorry about that."

When I asked him if the cashiers should be aware of the system of the number of boxes he didn't say "Yes, ma'am I will bring that up with my manager". His flippant remark about the cashiers being new and didn't know and his flippant remark about the Frisco's store's customer service review is the reason that store doesn't have good customer service reviews. We had the choice of keeping the chest and accepting the second box or returning the item.

Because of this guy's lack of customer service I decided I didn't want to mess with it. What if there was a part missing from the second box? There would be another 80 mile round trip, toll road fee, time and gas spent. In addition, on our way home I realized that I had a message on my phone from a customer service representative from the phone call I made last night. They left no extension but a message telling me that I probably had only got one of two boxes and I just needed to return to the store for the other box. When I tried to call that number back I was redirected to the 888 main number which I called in the first place only to get another recording.

Needless to say I did not bother to leave a message. Now, just as the young man said, I will be one of the people with something to complain about. Had he even bothered to ask someone if we could purchase one of the assembled chests, apologized and acknowledged that the cashier could have caught that mistake I might have been writing a positive review.

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My First IKEA Experience: The Good, the Bad, and the Crazy

By clutzycook - 04/12/2010

I was in the market for a new dining room table and chairs. I had spent the last two months ogling a particular table and chair from IKEA on their website. I was toying with the idea of buying online, but after reading reviews here about their IKEA shipping nightmares and the realization that the cost of sales tax PLUS shipping would be way more than the 10% sales tax in Cook Co., I opted to make the trip to my local IKEA, shopping list in hand. Below is my review of the experience.

Parking: A-. Pretty standard for a large store. To my surprise, I actually got a space just across from the loading area, which would prove useful as you will see below. Finding what I wanted in the showroom: C+. While the chair I was looking for was displayed, the table was not. I was feeling slightly panicked until an employee informed me that the table was available, just not on display in the showroom. Once I got the table reserved in the warehouse, all I had to do was pick up my chairs and make for the checkout. Simple, right?

Getting what I wanted from the self-serve bins: D. The bin that contained my chairs was behind a pillar. That, combined with the fact that I was constantly being bumped into by a group of people and the low lighting in the area, made my job more difficult than it should have been. Fortunately, the chairs were light (only 12 lbs each) and I was able to get them with a little body contortion. The other issue was finding a box that wasn't partially opened. I don't know about you, but I equate a damaged box with potentially damaged or missing items.

The carts: B+. Loved the flatbed trucks maneuverability while in the store. Liked it a little less when it came time to unload things from the cart. Checkout: D-. The only words to describe this was total Bedlam. People were weaving in and out of lines and there were people crossing lanes by cutting around people already in line. This was a total mess. The one thing I did like was the fact that the stylus for signing the screen was on the left-hand side. A rarity for a southpaw like myself. Getting my table from the warehouse: A-. There were no problems with this. I was in and out in less than 5 minutes.

Loading the stuff: D+. The only thing that saves this category from total failure is that the chairs were light and I was able to put two in the front seat and two in the back seat on the floor. The hard part was just getting the things to my car in the first place. Remember that I said that my parking space came in handy? Since there were no ramps allowing me to push my chairs to the car on the hand truck, I had to leave the cart on the loading dock, race to my car and pull it up to the loading dock. All the while keeping one eye on my chairs and the other on the lookout for people who wanted to walk behind my car as I was backing out.

Loading the table was the worst part of all. It weighed 99 lbs and since I refuse to back my car into a parking space (I'm terrible at it), I had to slide the table off the hand truck (this is where that easy maneuverability was more of a curse than a blessing), off the loading dock and around the back to my car. I then had to use my 5 years of nursing experience with moving large people and equipment to lift the box and slide it into the car. It fit -almost. The last 3-4 inches was hanging out of the trunk and I couldn't get the lid to close. Thank goodness I prepared for this and brought a bungee cord to secure the lid for the ride home.

IKEA staff's willingness to help a person with their loading issues: F. When I picked up my table, no one asked if I needed help loading. I know they emphasize customers doing most of the work, but come on! I am a relatively small woman. Not weak-looking by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm only 5'4" for crying out loud. An offer of help would not have been rejected. There were staff milling around all over the loading area. Did any one of them step up and offer a hand? No, of course not. They like to say "you do a little, we do a little." What they should say is, "you do most of it, we'll do the bare minimum."

As I said, thank goodness I've moved far bigger things on my own. Returns: C-. When I got home, I realized that one of the chairs I had bought was the wrong color. So, I had to return to the store the next day and exchange it. The wait for returns was about average. I had number 78 and they were at 61 when I arrived, but I still got up to the counter within 15 minutes. Thank goodness there were places to sit. The low score comes from the fact that they would not let me do an even exchange because I was not exchanging for an item in the same color. Never mind the fact that it was the same style of chair, same price, just stained a different color.

They had to do a return, credit my card (I'm still waiting for the money to hit) and I had to go and purchase the correct chair. So, I had to walk back into the madness that was an IKEA store on a weekend, return to the bin behind the pillar, find a box that wasn't damaged (an even bigger challenge than it was the day before), check that I had the correct color (I checked 3 times) and return to the insanity of the checkout lane. This time, however, I used the self-checkout. Much better. My overall experience with IKEA: C. I'll probably give the store another try at some point in the future, but next time I'll try it during the week.

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Pargel Countertops Are Very Poor Quality

By akimbo - 12/20/2010

RICHMOND, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- We purchased a Pragel countertop from Richmond, BC store only to discover on installation day that it had a 6 inch flaw on the surface. As we had the carpenter on site and a deadline, we had to cut out a large section and butt another piece to it to complete the counter. I now have a large seam with caulking just inches from our sink. We live on Vancouver Island and had the kitchen delivered so had to deal with IKEA by phone. IKEA made it very difficult to register a complaint: many 20-minute wait phone calls, e-mails etc. and about 7 weeks later IKEA decided to refund us for only part of the cost.

Customer service was rude and challenged me about the validity of my claim. I was left feeling humiliated and ripped off. Absolutely shocking service. Furthermore, our carpenter was appalled by the thinness of the countertop material, and the course chip board used on the interior. One little knife cut and the interior will be exposed to water.